What Technology Does Your Business Need?

Nowadays, technology is indispensable for any business, from startups to big corporations. The world is constantly going through a technological revolution, so it's extremely important to keep up to date. Of course, depending on the needs of your business, you will need specific technologies that other companies probably do not need. But, there are basic technological solutions that every business owner should know and consider investing in. Let's explore some of them and embrace them to boost your growth and success.

Web Design

Having a website is no longer optional and you must provide the best first impression to every potential customer. You shouldn't use pre-paid website designs. Instead, hire a tech-savvy professional who can build-out a site that represents your business and entertains your target audience at the same time. You could use your website to inform them about your services and prices and let them purchase from the comfort of their home.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Frequently a customer relationship management is only used for sales purposes. However, a CRM allows you to log and track every aspect of every relationship you build. You'll know how long it’s been since you’ve followed up with loyal customers, which users are visiting your website, or filling out forms but not closing the deal on a purchase. It helps you stay internally organized and top-of-mind with customers.

SEO Services

If your company does most of its business online, investing in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services will positively impact your business. SEO uses specific keywords and search algorithms to make it easier for search engines to find your site. This way, your business will have more opportunities to rank on the first page of search results on different engines like Google. Also, it's highly recommended to invest in other marketing practices; digital marketing, branding, and much more.

Technology Consulting

The goal of a technology consultancy is to inform clients about how to use their IT practices to achieve their business goals. IT consulting services can range from creating a technology to managing a process system for a business. In some cases, it includes examining the risk of an existing system. In the end, you will maximize your company's efficiency and reduce costs.

Build a Successful Business With S-FX Small Business Solutions

Technology will never stop evolving, so having an experienced IT advisor on your side is vital for your business success. With over a decade of experience, S-FX.com Small Business Solutions has become the best business consulting experts in town. Get in touch with us and learn more about our services. DISCOVER MORE NOW

The 4 Elements of a Great Logo

A company's logo is the first impression customers have of a brand, it's the external visual identity of any business. A logo communicates your company’s values, tells a story, and even helps people trust you.Everyone makes judgments about logos, so it's important to create or re-design your business' logo based on these elements. Remember that if your logo does not convey the right message to a prospective customer, your company is at an immediate disadvantage.

Relevant & Unique

Your logo doesn't have to be a literal representation of your business, but it should have some relevance to your particular industry and market's niche. It must stand out from the crowd and not be similar to your competitor’s design. When your logo is seen by others, they should only think about your business. Don't use generic or pre-designed logos, always choose the best and most unique idea that your designers have.

Quality Typography

The typography of your logo will vary depending on what you are trying to communicate. You may be surprised by the number of options that exist, which is why professional guidance is always recommended.Typography is a craft in itself and it’s the first voice of stating who you are. Let’s explore the most common logo's fonts:

Serif Fonts

They're a classic choice if you want your business to be perceived as traditional, professional, or reliable. E.g: Google.

Script Fonts

These fonts are artsy, creative, and add a distinctive touch. E.g: Cadillac.

Display Fonts

They're used to get attention and demonstrate personality. E.g: Disney.

Additional Tips

No more than two fonts in a logo should be your rule.
Experiment with different weights, spacing, and height.
Always keep readability in mind.

Adaptable

Your logo must be adaptable because you’ll use it in infinite ways and multiple contexts. Ask yourself, will my logo work in black and white and in color? Will it scale or is it too complicated for details to be lost in small sizes?Here are some examples of how you will utilize your company logo:

T-Shirts & Baseball Caps
Pens, Keychains & Water Bottles
Horizontal & Vertical Banners
Black & White Backgrounds

The Right Color

If you already have a primary color that identifies your company, you know where to start. Colors can create an emotional connection between you and your audience. They can influence your customer's state of mind. So, learn about the psychology of color choice. Overall, stay consistent with your brand and think about the different channels and backgrounds where your logo will appear. Certain combinations can affect readability and your customer’s experience.

Create a Timeless Logo With S-FX Small Business Solutions

Your logo design will have a major impact on your business, so make sure to include all of these elements. If you're looking for professional guidance, S-FX Small Business Solutions is here to help. We create unique and innovative designs that will set you apart from the competition. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SERVICES

What Are SEO Backlinks?

Backlinks, also called “inbound links” are created when another website links to yours. Needless to say, backlinks are very important for SEO in many different ways. Search engines use backlinks as a ranking signal because it is a way to show that your page or content is relevant to other people. Plus, a relevant site that links back to yours can get you more traffic regardless of your ranking.

A Good Backlinks IS HARD TO FIND

When someone links to your site, you gain a backlink. If you write an article and link back to a relevant article from another site, they have gained a backlink. So, it is a really simple concept. However, not every backlink you gain will be beneficial to you.

Backlinks vs High-quality Backlinks

Years ago, Google’s algorithm took backlinks really seriously. To the point that the more backlinks you had, the better your site would rank, regardless of their quality. Nowadays the algorithm works in a different way. This is because many websites were using what is known as “black hat techniques” to gain a bunch of useless backlinks from irrelevant websites (making them rank higher). Spam websites that link back to your site are no good. Not only the chances of getting traffic from those sources is very low, but there’s also a good chance that Google or other search engines will recognize your site as a spam site. That’s a major reason why you should take backlinking seriously.

Why Backlinks Are So Important

There are 2 main reasons why backlinks are important for your SEO:

You rank higher in search results
You get referral traffic

High-quality backlinks signal search engines that other people vouch for your content. To better illustrate how this works, imagine writing an article on your website, and you start getting mentioned by other people in your industry, and some well-known companies. This would indicate to Google and other search engines that your content is really good, thus, your article will probably rank higher.Referral traffic is also a good reason why you should consider taking on that backlinking strategy more seriously. Websites get a great deal of their traffic through search engines, but there’s always a good percentage of traffic coming from other sources. Yelp, Yellow Pages, and other listing websites are good examples of this. These visitors wouldn’t have found your website otherwise. Having backlinks from other relevant websites related to your business will drive more people into your webpage, increasing your reach and the chances of closing a deal.

Backlinks and Website Authority

You’ve probably heard the term Website Authority before. Although this term is vaguely used sometimes, it is something you should take into account when building backlinks. Usually, websites with more authority will transfer some “strength” to websites with less authority, which is one of the reasons why you should not overlook the quality of your backlinks. An inbound link from Forbes Magazine will have more impact on your SEO than a small website that hardly gets any traffic.

Improving Your Organic Ranking With A Proper Backlinking Strategy

Backlinks provide websites and businesses with plenty of benefits. Whether by impacting your traffic and ranking directly or indirectly, the more high-quality backlinks you are able to get, the better. To achieve this and get the most out of it you should simply focus on providing people with relevant content and information. The more useful your website is for visitors and other people in your industry, the more chances of getting some good backlinks and increasing your ranking. And that’s why backlinks are so important for your SEO.

What’s The Difference Between Branding And Marketing?

Building a business is somewhat easier than ever. Although there are numerous platforms and certainly a great amount of information you can find, there are still many buzzwords that get thrown around. Marketing and Branding are some of these concepts, and unfortunately, they are vaguely explained or mixed up in some cases. However, understanding the difference between these two concepts can give you and your business a well-deserved boost.

Marketing and Branding: Defining THEM

Branding is defined as the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products. It is also defined as the promotion of a particular product or company by means of advertising and distinctive design.Marketing refers to activities a company undertakes to promote the buying or selling of a product or service. It includes advertising, selling, and delivering products to consumers or other businesses. Some marketing is done by affiliates on behalf of a company.

Closely Related But Not Quite The Same

Since both concepts are so related to each other, it is common for people to mistakenly treat them as synonyms, but understanding how to effectively use each can really take your business to the next level.Branding is a bit more of who you are as a company and as a brand. Your mission, your unique selling proposition, your core principles, and even that which inspired you to build your business, is all an important part of your branding. All of this will have an impact on how people perceive you as a company, and it will also help you find the right people that will become a happy customer.While branding actively shapes your brand and identity, marketing is a way to promote your product or service. A good way to see it is as Marketing getting the customer’s attention and branding helping you keep that attention.Marketing is well known by most businesses (not to say that is well implemented), and there are hundreds of tools that can be used to reach your specific goals. Whether you’re interested in digital marketing alone or you want to mix some traditional marketing such as T.V or print campaigns, all of your efforts should be aligned with your brand.

Marketing and Branding Work Together In Harmony

Every successful business should have brand guidelines to work with. These guidelines will contribute to powerful and consistent brand identity, and designers usually work very closely with these. Not only will this make your marketing efforts more consistent, but it will also influence how people perceive you. Think of Coca-Cola, Google, Apple, or any other giant brand out there. From color to shapes, everything they do screams their names – as soon as you see that, you think of them. That is successful branding.Marketing, on the other hand, will get your brand in front of your target audience. Advertisements will often be the first time someone will encounter your brand. Good marketing will inspire people to get in contact with your brand, it will inform your customers, and will close the deal. To achieve the best results, your marketing efforts should always be aligned with what your brand represents and what your company stands for.

Marketing and Branding For Your Business

Both your brand and your marketing efforts should work together to become trustworthy in the eyes of your loyal customers. Marketing can get your brand in front of a billion people, but your brand is not consistent, there’s a chance that your efforts will fall short. The same way around, branding will be the base of your marketing efforts, but even if you have a strong brand, misaligned marketing can hurt your reputation. Understanding the difference between both concepts is the key to crafting a marketing strategy that drives real results.----S-FX.com Small Business Solutions is a boutique web design and technology consulting agency geared towards start-up businesses, small businesses and non-profit businesses. We specialize in implementing low cost technology solutions to maximize efficiency and reduce business operating costs.Discover how to elevate your business getting the right tools and services!

What is CMS?

A CMS is a user-friendly software that allows you to build, manage, and modify websites without having to code it from scratch. In other words, it is a tool that allows users to create a website without having to write all the code or knowing how to code. The acronym CMS stands for Content Management System and it refers to a system solution that allows people without any experience to build websites in an easy way.Statistics say that more than half of the websites on the internet are built with CMS.

How does it work?

CMS will take the whole coding and HTML process and make it almost as simple as writing a Word document. Technically, it is composed of two main cores:

Content management application (CMA): The part that allows users to manage or add content to the website.
Content delivery application (CDA): The part that takes what users put in the CMA, stores it and makes it visible.

All the two parts work equally to maintain the website.

Benefits of using CMS

Minimum or No Coding Skills Needed

Build, manage, and reshape a website without any coding knowledge. A CMS is designed to make things easier for non-developers.

Makes Collaboration Easier

CMS allows multiple users to work at the same time on the landing page. For instance, some users can add marketing content while others work on security protocols.

SEO-friendly

Some CMS's are excellent for SEO purposes. On the other hand, with extensions, you can easily detect SEO issues and repair them in order to improve your website.

Templates

With CMS platforms like WordPress, you can choose from a wide range of predesigned templates to customize your website.

Updates

CMS allows users to update websites in a quick and easy way. Users will be able to make major changes like a website redesign to minor changes like changing images on the landing page.

Examples of popular CMS platforms:

WordPress: Perhaps the most popular one. At least a third of websites online are using WordPress today. Extremely customizable with hundreds of templates and plugins to choose from. WordPress allows users to create a unique experience for their company or brand.
CMS Hub: Optimized for search engines, with CMS Hub users can build strong and secure websites. Ideal for businesses looking forward to growing up.
Joomla: Ideal for social and community websites. What makes Joomla different from other CMS platforms is that it offers multilingual support.
Magento: Even though Magento is highly flexible and secure, it might be pretty difficult to use. Suitable for eCommerce, it allows users to manage several online stores and shipping providers.
Drupal: It’s an open-source CMS, very flexible. Used by at least 3% of the websites online. Although a web developer it’s required to fully use everything offered by this CMS, Drupal users won’t have to start their website from scratch.

Build your website with a CMS

Easy to use and quick to update, content management systems are suitable for users looking to build a website that can grow over time. However, design, UX/UI, SEO, and functionality will always require technical knowledge. If you want to get the most out of your website, web designers and web developers can help you achieve just that.----S-FX.com Small Business Solutions is a boutique web design and technology consulting agency geared towards start-up businesses, small businesses and non-profit businesses. We specialize in implementing low cost technology solutions to maximize efficiency and reduce business operating costs.Discover how to elevate your business getting the right tools and services!

What is a CRM?

In our tech-driven world, it’s all about finding the right solution that will allow you to find better and more efficient ways to improve your customers' experience and the company’s performance. CRM is one of those solutions. Although it stands for Customer Relationship Management, over the years the definition has changed.Nowadays, CRM refers to a data-driven system and integrated solutions that ameliorate the way we do business and interconnect with our customers. It enhances customer’s experience by allowing us to maintain relationships with them, tracking and identifying potential leads, saving sales data, improving productivity, and a lot more.

Benefits of using a CRM

Know your customers

By collecting your customers' information in just one place, a CRM system allows you to personalize communication with your contacts and therefore enhance your customers’ experience. Also, CRM stores all the information related to sales activity and contacts.

Customer segmentation

A CRM will analyze and organize data into different categories that will permit you to deal better with potential clients. For instance, you’ll be able to run targeted marketing campaigns to a specific group of clients.

Customer retention

A happy customer is a customer that will keep making business with you. CRM can help retain customers by reminding you what customers have not been contacted in a while or by keeping track of appointments and sales activities. It will greatly improve your customer service.

Anticipation of needs

By knowing all your customers’ buying habits and business history, CRM will help you to sell more and faster. Also, CRM email templates will permit you to respond faster and better to each of your customer’s inquiries.

Better analytical information and reports

Gain insights on your company’s performance by having reports that will permit you to know how your customers are doing and how they interact or do business with you.

Examples of popular CRM:

Freshsales: Designed for businesses of all sizes, with an easy to use interface and a wide range of expansive features such as built-in phone and email or customizable sales reports.
Keap: Great for small companies or startups, Keap will allow you to manage all your contacts and sales information better.
Less annoying CRM: Even though it doesn’t offer all the features that competitors have, Less annoying CRM is designed to be a much simpler and easy to use solution. Another big plus is that it’s way less expensive compared to other CRM systems.
HubSpot: HubSpot offers small businesses or startups an easy way to enter the CRM systems world. It has a free trial version that can allow you to run your business entirely and improve your customer interaction at no cost.
Zoho: Modern, easy to use, and inexpensive, Zoho it’s a great option for any company looking to boost its performance.

Make your customers a priority

Whether you chose a low-cost solution or a more professional one, CRM systems will boost your performance and improve your customer’s experience in ways you can even imagine. Start today.----S-FX.com Small Business Solutions is a boutique web design and technology consulting agency geared towards start-up businesses, small businesses and non-profit businesses. We specialize in implementing low cost technology solutions to maximize efficiency and reduce business operating costs.Discover how to elevate your business getting the right tools and services!

How iWorker’s Remote Work Model Helps Small Businesses

There are over 30 million small businesses in the US, and they make up 99% of all businesses in this country. One of the biggest challenges that small business owners face is how to expand their team (and hire quality people) without breaking the bank.S-FX focuses on helping small businesses grow through technology, web design, and marketing. But helping businesses to grow their team is an area that S-FX doesn’t cover. That’s why we use iWorker. They provide a great solution to hiring additional people for small businesses, and we recommend giving them a look.

What is iWorker?

iWorker is a social enterprise that connects skilled English-speaking freelancers with business owners around the world. They recruit college-educated professionals from developing countries (with a particular focus on countries in crisis, like Venezuela) and then line them up with work online where these remote professionals can earn in USD and generate a steady income for themselves and their families. As a business owner, the hiring process is straightforward.When you connect with iWorker, they’ll ask you what kinds of tasks you need a hand with (whether it’s SEO, copywriting, social media, data entry, customer service, etc). They’ll then send you a range of profiles of different workers on their team. If any of these profiles catch your eye, you can jump on a call with the worker to get to know them better before you decide whether you’d like to hire. At S-FX, we’ve been working successfully with iWorker for several years. One of our iWorker hires, for example, works on our social media and weekly blog posts, freeing up our time to serve our clients better. We’ve even connected several of our own clients with her through iWorker, and they’ve also had a great experience.“Forging a relationship with iWorker has given me the opportunity to connect with talented freelancers that I'd normally have not been introduced to,” says Shane Skwarek, our Chief Technologist. “In our industry, it's important to be diverse and have knowledge that spans across multiple sectors. iWorker granted us the ability to diversify our team and expand our knowledge base.”

iWorker’s Social Impact

But what makes iWorker unique are not just the benefits it provides to business owners for expanding their team at an affordable rate, but its social impact in the countries in which it hires.iWorker began as a response to the situation in Venezuela. As inflation worsened, the local currency became nearly worthless, jobs became scarcer, and crime became endemic. Remote work was a powerful tool for Venezuelans in a country in economic freefall.Through iWorker, Venezuelans and now other Latin Americans in similar situations can find remote work for which they get paid in dollars, a stable currency, and earn significantly above the average of other workers in their country. This helps not just them, but their families and their local economies.One of our iWorker freelancers at S-FX lives in Nicaragua, where a political upheaval led to a huge economic turndown and unemployment. Through iWorker, she found reliable and well-paying work.

Remote Freelancers: The Key To Growth

Freelance workers can be the key for small businesses to grow. They’re often more affordable than full-time employees, and they can be highly skilled and hard-working. Through iWorker, small businesses can access talented workers at affordable prices -- between $6 and $12 an hour.iWorker also does a lot of the necessary legwork: they filter and select from hundreds of freelancers, hiring only around 5%, and then manage payment, time tracking, and a variety of other logistics, making the process for small business owners that much easier.

Scale With iWorker

Interested in taking part in iWorker’s social mission while growing your business? Start the process today and connect with a skilled freelancer.

What is SaaS? A Quick Guide For Your Business

Software as a Service (SaaS), also known as cloud-based software, is a cloud-based service where you can access an application via a web browser instead of downloading the software on your desktop PC or business network. These apps can be anything from simple office software to very complex and powerful business apps.From small shops to big companies, SaaS is mainstream and one of the default deployment methods nowadays. Business apps delivered via cloud services are easier to use, less expensive, and don’t have as many compatibility issues as software that would otherwise be installed on your computer.

How SaaS Works And Why It Is So Relevant

Software as a Service allows you and your company to use the same software without certain limitations such as compatibility with Operating Systems, software, and hardware. The application resides on a remote cloud network and can be accessed through the web, and instead of purchasing the software you usually pay an annual (or sometimes monthly) subscription, which also means that the upfront cost is much lower.Some good examples of SaaS are most Google Apps, and certain applications like Salesforce, Mailchimp, Hubspot, ZenDesk, and Dropbox. If you’ve ever used one of these then you already know how easy to use and convenient they can be, as long as you have an internet connection. You do not need specialized software, you don’t have to worry about updates, and you can access them for any device.

Advantages of SaaS for your business

Lower Cost

This is probably one of the most noticeable and benefits of SaaS. Medium and Big companies can save thousands or even millions of dollars in software by subscribing to a cloud-based service, small companies can even benefit from SaaS without paying a single cent.

Convenience

You and your team can access your apps from anywhere in the world without having to worry about compatibility with the machine they’re using. If your PC crashes and stops working, simply move to another computer. If some of your employees use a different OS, no problem either. All they need is a proper internet connection and a web browser.

Maintenance Free

This is a big one. Cloud-based software does not require any maintenance on your part. Regular checkup and computer maintenance will still be necessary, but your provider is in charge of everything related to bugs, compatibility, functionality, and updates of the software.

Scalability

You don’t need to pay thousands of dollars upfront if you only have 3 employees using the software. Plans are inexpensive and in most cases, the bigger your plan is the less you pay. Even if you’re a multinational, you won’t have to worry about setting up new servers, and licenses.

Your Company Will Benefit From Using SaaS

Not all software is created equal, not every business has the same needs, and not every provider will be a perfect fit for you and your business. However, once you find the right provider you will notice how beneficial and impactful SaaS can be. The only downside is that you need a stable internet connection, which is simply not possible for every business due to their nature.----S-FX.com Small Business Solutions is a boutique web design and technology consulting agency geared towards start-up businesses, small businesses and non-profit businesses. We specialize in implementing low cost technology solutions to maximize efficiency and reduce business operating costs.Discover how to elevate your business getting the right tools and services!

How to Write a Resume That Actually Gets Seen

The job search can be frustrating. You might spend countless hours writing the perfect resume just to realize that after submitting it hundreds of times, you’re not hearing back from anyone. Many times this happens, not because you’re not a great fit for the company, but because your resume might not even be seen by real people.Today’s world is fast-paced and competitive, more so than it was less than a decade ago. To give you an idea of how competitive this can be: corporate job offers attract 250 applicants on average, and some companies like Google report about 3 million applicants per year. To become more efficient in their hiring process, companies have adopted Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

What Is ATS And Why It Matters?

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software that acts as a database and uses an algorithm to scan the resume. This human resource software looks for keywords and other relevant information like skills, previous experience, and education to screen and weed out applicants before moving to the next step. This has made the recruiting process easier for companies, but not for job applicants. Statistics show that 99% of Fortune 500 companies and about 60% of companies use an ATS of some sort as part of their recruiting process. It is also important to keep in mind that after the initial screening, 75% of resumes don’t get read by a real person. This means that out of all the applicants that submit a resume, only 25% get to the next step.

Increase The Chances Of Your Resume Being Seen

Statistics can be discouraging if you have been looking for a job for a while now, but there are ways you can increase your chances and become part of the 25% that actually gets their resumes read by a human.

Customize Your Resume For Each Employer

ATS has become so widespread that it is critical to write a resume that gets past the screening phase. You might be the right fit for many companies out there, but the way you state your experience and your information can have an impact on how each employer perceives you. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to use the job description that each company provides–Job descriptions literally tell you exactly what the company wants.

Use The Job Description To Write Your Experience

It is really important to tailor your work experience section to the job description. Applicant tracking systems use keywords to determine whether an applicant has or not potential, and job descriptions offer plenty, if not all, of the keywords that you require to get past these systems. For example, if the job offer states that the company is looking for a person with strong “analytical skills” and “research focused” you might want to use those keywords to write your resume.

Write A Simple, Yet Clean Resume

You need to get past the initial screening. However, at some point, your resume will be seen by real people, and that’s something that you have to keep in mind at all times. Using the right keywords is great for the ATS but a simple and clean design is always recommended in case real eyes land on it.

Writing A Resume THE EASY WAY

The idea of having an ATS and automated screening processes certainly sounds dreading. However, increasing your chances is not that complicated, especially once you get a grasp of how it works.Read some job descriptions of other companies in your industry, try to add some of the keywords that they use, and keep your design clean and simple. Just following those recommendations, your chances of writing a resume that actually gets seen by real people will increase.